No matter how convenient it is to download a book on your tablet, there's nothing like the sensory pleasures of an old-school hardback: The smell of the paper. The feel of turning the page. The cover art that evokes the story.

That said, books do take up space—and depending on how much you read, potentially a lot of space. And unless you live in the Library of Congress, you may have reached a point where you’re at a loss for how to organize them all.

Before you give up and go digital forever, take heart: There are some clever ways to show off your favorite tomes and make them the protagonist of your home decor.

1. Lean into the library look

If you're a book lover, there's no sense hiding it—embrace your bibliophile tendencies and design your home around your books. The more it feels like a library, the more you might feel like you're in your own happy place, where a new world is only a page turn away.

“Few things are more lovely than a solid wall of library shelves filled with books and a few décor items,” says Darla DeMorrow, owner of HeartWork Organizing, in Wayne, PA. “A sliding ladder, of course, is the icing on the cake.”

Put your books in alphabetical order according to the author's last name, or according to genres. You can even get creative: Mary Shelley next to E.L. James? One could say that both did create monsters.

2. Create a 'reading rainbow'

Are you a visual person? Let go of logic and disregard titles. Instead, "organize books by color of their binding to create a rainbow effect on the shelving," suggests Amy Trager, a certified professional organizer in Chicago.

Of course, this could mean shushing your inner librarian in order to put Shakespeare next to Sherlock Holmes. It's not for everyone, but it's certainly pleasing to the eye.

Or build your own cubby system as an alternative to traditional bookcases.

“I've seen people use everything from egg crates to cinder blocks to build shelving for books," says Lauren Williams, a certified professional organizer and owner of Casual Uncluttering in Woodinville, WA.

6. Mix the genres

What we read undoubtedly gives insight into who we are. And chances are, we're into more than Victorian romances or true crime thrillers. To inspire discussion, don't be afraid to mix genres—even if it feels out of place.

“I personally enjoy mixing rows of vintage books and modern books on my shelves, partially because I enjoy a lot of obscure, long-out-of-print writers,” Williams says.

8. Let them be elevating...

While you might not want to use your books to, say, hold up a claw-foot tub, they are capable of smaller chores. For instance, DeMorrow says, a stack of books can charmingly elevate a too-short lamp to exactly the right height.

9. ... or backward

Purists may want to skip this idea, but we'll throw it out there anyway.

“There's a very popular trend of turning books the ‘wrong’ way on a shelf, so the spines are in,” DeMorrow says. “Which makes it impossible to find a book you want, but does a lot to calm a color scheme.”

10. Use your books as art

You can hang artwork on the outside of the shelves, partly obscuring your books for a layered look, DeMorrow says. You can also face your books outward on the shelves, treating the covers like individual works of art.

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